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From Joseph Rizzo
on 31-Jan-2012 |
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Our island adventure course was a great addition to our big island visit. Mike was first class in knowledge about the island and knew where the good spots were so my wife could get some great pictures from the back seat of the Skylane. Thanks Mike.
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From Tom Brown
on 02-Jun-2011 |
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My wife, daughter and I were considering a helicopter ride, but the costs for what we wanted were very expensive. I looked up flight training in the area, found Mike at Tropicbird, saved half of the money we would have spent, got some time in a 182, and a ton of great pictures of the island. Mike is very knowledgeable about the islands, and provided us with history and facts about the areas we were flying over. He also gave me 'mountain flying' pointers that will help me in the future. I am VERY glad that we chose this route to fly the island. Highly recommended.
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From Jeff Beck
on 05-Jan-2011 |
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I flew an island adventure flight with Tropicbird Flight Service while on vacation in Kona last week. I scheduled the flight with Mike over the phone, spoke with their office assistant upon my arrival for the flight, and actually flew with Jon. Everyone that I dealt with during my experience with Tropicbird was kind, professional, and genuinely interested in making sure I had a great experience on the Big Island. Being from the Midwest, I was eager to fly in a tropical environment. Jon was very knowledgeable and patient as we took a 1.3 hour flight around the north tip of the big island. He pointed out many interesting differences between island flying and mainland flying in an effort to make the experience both fun and educational. I highly recommend Tropicbird Flight Service to anyone looking for an enjoyable, sightseeing flight around the big island.
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From Bradford Griswold
on 09-Dec-2010 |
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While out on the Big Island I had the pleasure of flying with both Mike and Jon in their superbly maintained C182. I was able to do a complete circumnavigation of the Big Island with Mike and his comprehensive knowledge of island weather, landmarks, and even culture/history made it a very memorable flight. I was also able to take time to do a couple other flights with Jon and Mike to earn my high performance endorsement. They are absolute professionals and top notch CFIs that taught this newly minted pilot a few extra tips and tricks to take with me. I can't recommend these guys enough!
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From Roger Pollard
on 07-Nov-2010 |
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Great experience with Tropicbird's Big Island Flying Course; I would highly recommend them. Immaculate aircraft (C172SP/G1000). Although the weather did not allow a flight all the way around the island, we went as far as safety allowed. Jon is an outstanding instructor, covering the weather, geography and landmarks, with just enough prompting at exactly the right moment. A great experience for any pilot.
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From John Campbell
on 25-Oct-2010 |
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A colleague and I had an outstanding experience with Tropicbird. The G1000 C172SP, our guide pilot Buster and even the 'front office' gal Ashley were great. We flew north along the coast to Lopalu through some terrific turbulence getting a great lesson in the geography and local weather from our instructor Buster. Plans to cross the channel to Hana were scrapped by a low ceiling so we continued around the northern point to magnificent sea cliffs, waterfalls and tropical scenery. We were then up over the mountain and back down to Kona and the coastline. We got to see the beauty of the Big Island while getting some flying time. I highly recommend the Island Adventure Flying course to all visiting pilots. The folks at Tropicbird will take great care of you and make sure you get what you are looking for and then some.
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From Uygar Yuksel
on 11-Oct-2010 |
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Besides being an excellent instructor and guide, Mike is an aviation enthusiast. I am very glad to meet him. We circled the island with his C 182. It was my first time in a 182 and he was quite helpful. I had two friends in the backseat and we all enjoyed the flight. Island Course is an excellent opportunity for pilots who wish to fly over big island.
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From Chris Moseley
on 26-Sep-2010 |
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Flying with Mike Lauro in the DA-20 was the highlight of my trip to the Big Island. Mike is very thorough and professional, and it was great flying with him. I made a slideshow of pictures from my flight; you can see it at Youtube.Com.
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From James Buttery
on 18-Aug-2010 |
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This made my trip to Hawaii. The aircraft (the 182) was clean and well maintained, and everyone at the office was really nice. They also let us borrow Bose headsets for the flight. This sure beats the helicopter tours since my friend and I each got a turn on the controls and we could chose what we wanted to see. It’s also pretty cool to get a logbook entry showing cross-country time from PHKO to PHTO.
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From Martin Weiss
on 17-May-2010 |
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I am STILL in Hawaii and felt compelled to write this review ASAP. The flight, professionalism of Jon and Mike, and the performance of the airplane (C-182) were everything I expected. At $250.00 per hour (wet with CFI) it clearly beats the $400.00 per person 1/2-hour helicopter tour factory. Although I hadn't flown a 182 since 1993, I am still very current and I took off and flew the entire 2.5 hours with Jon taking the controls only to allow me to take some breathtaking video and photos. I even landed in a 15-knot crosswind! GREAT time. Depending on weight and balance, a guest or two can take the back seats - no added charge. A fully satisfying highlight of a great vacation.
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From Matthew Simpson
on 06-May-2010 |
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My wife, 5-year-old son and I had the pleasure to fly around the big island with Jon Dabel in April 2010. If you are pilot; the "island adventure course" is a very relaxing, enjoyable and interesting experience as the big island offers several different landscapes, unique weather conditions and spectacular sights all in one flight. For non pilots I would highly recommend tagging along for the course as back seat passengers. Many Non pilots who visit the big island are always tempted to book helicopter tours. In my opinion an airplane tour is better for the following reasons. 1) The cost is the same for 1-3 passengers so you are not sharing the aircraft with others. 2) You can customize your trip on the ground and potentially in air. 3) Jon has in-depth knowledge of Hawaii's sights and can provide customized insightful commentary as you pass over the spectacular sights. For both pilots and non pilots I would rank flying with Tropic Bird as one of the top things to do in Hawaii.
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From Robert Kerrigan
on 26-Apr-2010 |
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My wife, daughter and I had the pleasure to fly with Jon in the Tropicbird C-182 in April 2010. We flew north and overflew UPP at the northern tip of the big island and returned to KOA. The day was clear and the flight was thoroughly enjoyable with Jon. I highly recommend Jon and Tropicbird to fellow pilots who visit the big island of Hawaii for a beautiful Hawaiian flying experience
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From Mark and Carrie Shannon
on 19-Feb-2010 |
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My wife and I enjoyed a morning flight out of PHKO with Tropicbird's Jon Dabel. We circled the island in Tropicbird's Cessna 182. Jon was first class. His preflight weather briefing exemplified his professionalism. The Big Islands beautiful landscape is a feast for the eyes. Volcanos, waterfalls, valleys, beaches, plantations, lava flows, and whales made our flight the highlight of our stay. I recommend you make time to fly with Jon in paradise early in your stay. His knowledge of the island will enable you to maximize your enjoyment by hitting the hot spots he recommends. Thank you Jon and Tropicbird for a memorable flight and a great time on the Big Island. Mahalo
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From Tom & Connie Altergott
on 21-Dec-2009 |
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My wife & I flew with Mike Lauro on Nov. 30, 2009 in their Cessna 182. We did the Island Adventure Flying Course, and it was everything we expected and more. Mike is a true joy to fly with. His local knowledge is encyclopedic, and adds so much to the experience. We learned many things about the Big Island that I don't think you could learn any other way. Of course, there are many things you see on the flight that just can't be seen any other way (Volcano National Park and the Waipio Valley, to name just a couple). Mike is obviously a true professional - his dedication to safety shows in his decisions, like delaying our departure for an hour to let weather clear at Volcano National Park, pointing out many of the traps for the inexperienced and/or unwary pilot in Hawaii flying, and in the clean and very well maintained aircraft they fly. I can't overstate this, if you are a pilot visiting the Big Island, you need to make this trip! Thanks again Mike!!!!
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From Randy Cochran
on 30-Oct-2009 |
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I read the comments about Tropicbird Flight Service, and totally agree. My wife and I flew their Cessna 182 on a tour of the Big Island Oct. 26th, 2009, and had an absolute blast! Jon Dabel, one of their flight instructors, went with us as our communications coordinator, weather advisor, traffic lookout, and very knowledgeable local tour guide. Both Jon Dabel and Mike Lauro at Tropicbird were terrific! They went out of their way to ensure we had a wonderful experience and an amazing view of the area. This flight was the ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT of our activity-packed week on the Big Island. If you're going to Hawaii, be sure to schedule a 2-3 hr. flight around this island paradise. You'll see cloud-draped volcanoes, spectacular waterfalls, lush green fields of vegetation, turquoise patterns of coral, sparkling blue ocean depths, and island views that would be difficult if not impossible to see any other way. If you want the best, Tropicbird Flight Service is the place to go.
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From Jesse Wagner
on 03-Aug-2009 |
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An unbelievable experience. Mike gave my family and I the island tour. As a CFI candidate, I enjoyed the weather briefing before and during the flight. Mike explained in great detail his experience with the weather patterns around the islands. The Arizona desert offers some interesting weather patterns so it was great to get experience in another climate. Thanks Mike, I'll be back.
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From Mike Pastore
on 20-Apr-2009 |
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My son-in-law and I are both CFI's. We had the pleasure to fly with Mike Lauro in his 182 for a Big Island checkout. We had a great time! Mike is a very thorough professional and a pleasure to fly with. Tropic Bird is highly recommended to anyone interested in seeing the sights on the Big Island of Hawaii.
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From Vlad Bogak
on 02-Apr-2009 |
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Went on a flight in their sweet DA-20. Well, island around flight took about 2.5 hours, you figure out the price of dual (my wife didn't kill me... Yet) But it was well worth it!!! Reviewing the tapes and pics just was - just WOW! Didn't need a checkout, as I knew I would fly just once this time. Thank you, Mike! --V.
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From David Burton
on 21-Mar-2009 |
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I'd like to echo all the positive comments about Mike and Tropicbird Flight Service. I flew with him March 12, 2009 and after a great flight in his 182 my wife and I planned to go up with him again weather permitting. It didn't clear up to VFR conditions on the East side of the Island before we had to head home. You should make a flight with them a part of your trip to the big island. I suggest you book early in your stay especially if you are not familiar with the Island. Mike will definitely show you the best places to go!
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From Doug Moser
on 10-Mar-2009 |
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We flew with Mike Lauro and it doesn't get any better than this. As a pilot sitting left seat, I often handed Mike the controls to do some serious looking below. Very casual atmosphere with Mike and he's very knowledgeable and informative on the island. This is a must for any pilot (or non-pilot) visiting sunny Kona. As Arnold says, "I'll be back."
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